I wiped a white hand towel over my face and swung it over my shoulder. “I can only imagine.”
“It was a fucking mess. She threatened to leave me if I didn’t help her family. Can you fucking believe it?” His lips twisted into a sneer. “She actually wanted me to rally behind Juan fucking Alvarez. There is no love lost between Ignacio and me, but I’d never betray him for Alvarez trash.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, really?” I mocked. “Because I’m pretty sure you already did when you stole his money to start a life with Anna Alvarez.”
“Yeah, well, that was a mistake. She’s a fucking bitch. She lied about everything. I don’t even understand why. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand what she wanted to gain.”
I picked up the television remote and turned up the volume as loud as it would go.
Rever waved his hand at the television. “What the hell is that about?” he shouted. I pointed to my ear, and then at the walls.
He nodded. “Got it.”
“Will you spot me?” I asked as I stretched out on the charcoal weight bench. The angle of Rever’s body would block my face from Ignacio’s camera, and the loud volume would prevent anyone from hearing our conversation.
“Yeah.”
“I think Emanuel set you up,” I said as I lifted the weight bar. “I think he’s collaborating with Juan Alvarez. Actually, I think he’s been collaborating with him for a long time.”
“Emanuel? Ignacio’s ass kisser? Are we talking about the same person? He doesn’t have a rebel bone in his body. He’d never do anything Ignacio didn’t order.”
“Yes,” I ground out as I pushed the bar away from my chest. “We’re talking about the same person, but you’re wrong about him. He’s a traitor. I think he initiated this whole war between Juan and Ignacio.”
“You’re crazy.” Rever shook his head. “Emanuel’s so far up Ignacio’s ass, he’d never do anything like that. He’s been working for Dad for a long fucking time.”
“I know. Ignacio has reminded me on several occasions, but that’s why it makes sense. Ignacio would never suspect him. He could get away with anything.”
“I don’t know, man.”
“Think about it. He wanted you out of the picture. He made it happen. Then, all of a sudden I’m drawn back into the Vargas Cartel, but I don’t think he has any intention of allowing me to slip into Ignacio’s role.”
Rever lifted the bar out of my hands and placed it on top of the bar catcher. “What do you mean, he wanted me to fail?”
“He said he planted ideas in your head, made things available.” I lifted the bar again to do another set of reps. My entire body burned, but I couldn’t stop. I’d go crazy. I’d been spinning my wheels to no end for days.
Shadows flickered through Rever’s eyes. “You really think he could be working with Juan Alvarez?”
I lifted the weight bar eight more times, concentrating on the simultaneous burn and quiver of my pectoral muscles as I counted off the reps in my head.
Eight. Nine. Ten.
“No.” I handed the bar to Rever. “I think he’s playing Juan and Ignacio against each other.”
“Why would he do that?”
I licked my lips. “Think about it. If both cartels are weakened by this turf war, it leaves the whole region open to being exploited by other cartels or new leadership.”
Rever frowned. “How would that benefit Emanuel?”
I wiped my hand across my sweat stained forehead. “Emanuel wants to be the new leader to rise from the ashes, and consolidate the entire region under him. We all know he has people in the Alvarez Cartel feeding Emanuel information. Who’s to say they’re not working for both sides? I’m sure he has plenty of people loyal to him in the Vargas Cartel, but in order to unite everyone behind him, he needs to discredit both of Ignacio’s potential successors. Your name is already shit, and that leaves me.”
“And Juan’s successor apparent is dead.” Rever leaned his back against the wall behind him and tipped his head toward the ceiling.
I sat up and stretched my aching arm muscles over my head. “Yes, and Juan is in the hospital, and we killed almost all of his inner circle when we rescued Hattie.”
“Now the attempt on Ignacio’s life makes a lot of sense. I couldn’t believe his guard screwed up and allowed him to get shot.”
“Right, and who directs Ignacio’s personal guard?” I asked, the pieces of the puzzle shifting into place in my mind.
Rever whistled under his breath. “Emanuel directs the Fuerzas Especiales de Ignacio,” he said, referencing Ignacio’s paramilitary unit.
“Dammit.” I rubbed my temples. “If I suspected we were being manipulated, I would’ve let Enrique live. I played right into Emanuel’s hands.” Images of things Enrique did to Hattie flashed through my mind. “Then again, I probably still would’ve killed him for hurting Hattie.”
“Fuck,” Rever said, his voice rough.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“So what are we going to do?” Rever asked.
“You’re going to help me.”
He nodded. “I’m in. That fucker has manipulated me for the last time.”
I angled my chin to the side. “I have one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Ignacio has to go too.”
“You’re planning to run the Vargas Cartel by yourself?”
“No,” I said. “You’re going to do it with me.”
He pursed his lips. “I don’t know. I think I’m done with this.”
“You owe me. I helped you with Anna.”
Rever scoffed. “Yeah, well, that didn’t turn out so great. She was jerking me around.”
I shrugged. “A debt for a debt, remember?” I reminded him. He had promised me if I helped with Anna, he owed me a favor in the future.
“I remember.” Rever scrubbed his hands over his face. “Why do you want my help running the cartel? What do I have to offer?”
“You know all the contacts. You know the history. I’d be running blind by myself.”
“What’s going to happen to Ignacio? Are you going to kill him?”
Standing up, I smiled. “No. I have other plans for him.”
Rever’s eyebrows lifted. “Should I ask?”
“No.” I patted him on his shoulder. “But I think you’ll like the outcome.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Hattie
“We’re wasting our time. There has to be another way,” I complained as I sat on the sofa in Ryker’s D.C. apartment to buckle my heels.
I hadn’t done anything about my living situation. The majority of my stuff was still at Vera’s apartment. She was my best friend, but after I saw the email she sent to Evan indicating she fed him information about me, I didn’t fully trust her. Also, I couldn’t imagine what she’d think if I showed up with Noah in tow.